IAACE Blog: News for You

Lynnetta Bell “hit rock bottom” in the spring of 2013. She had been unemployed for 7 years, just recently finding work at a low paying job. She knew, without further education, life for her and her family was not going to improve. Lynnetta stated that the hardest thing she did was going into the WorkOne and beginning the process of obtaining her high school equivalency. Lynnetta worked with the Greene County Literacy Association at the Bloomfield Library and passed her high school equivalency test at the Broadview Learning Center in December 2013. Having worked as a home health aide, Lynetta thought training as a certified nursing assistant would be her best next step and she worked with case manager Susan Neal in the Linton Work One office to obtain training assistance.

Susan introduced Lynnetta to a career option she was not familiar with: Medical Assisting. Susan explained the WorkINdiana program as a possible way to fund her training, and discussed the training requirements. The WorkINdiana Medical Assisting program required TABE scores of 10.0. While Lynnetta had passed her HSE, she would need to improve her TABE scores to become eligible for funding. Lynnetta was determined and attended ABE classes at Turning Point Education Center. She completed remediation and had the required scores by the end of January.

Throughout the process, Susan continued to counsel Lynnetta. They discussed barriers to success as the training was offered by Vincennes University in Ft. Branch, IN, 80 minutes away from Lynnetta’s home. In addition she was raising 3 children and working full time. Together, they developed a plan and used supportive services to assist with transportation costs. Lynnetta took a leap of faith and entered Medical Assistant training in February 2013. Three nights a week for 14 weeks, she attended class. She dedicated study time each evening toward her certification after her children were in bed. According to her instructor, Tammy Emmons, “Lynetta took it upon herself to use all of the study information I handed out and make it into study guides that she and the entire class used……Lynette worked very hard to succeed.” Following class, Lynnetta completed a clinical experience with Family Foot Care of Jasper. As a result of her experience, and her Certified Medical Assisting certification received in May 2013, Lynnetta was hired in a full time position by Family Foot Care of Jasper earning $14 per hour!

Susan stated that Lynnetta was able to succeed because she was very driven. “From the moment she sat down at my desk, she completed every task given to her. She cooperated and was able to verbalize what type of support she needed to successfully complete her HSE and her Medical Assistant training.”

Lynnetta will tell you it was not easy. She credits the support of her husband and children as key motivators to her success, particularly when it got tough. She also acknowledges that the support she received from WorkOne was critical to her completion. “You guys are a big part of why I am where I am today. Susan….believed in me when I did not believe in myself, and that meant a lot to me”

Wanting to “pay it forward," Lynnetta has donated the study guides she created as well as the scrubs obtained during training back to the local WorkOne. It is her hope that they can help someone like herself.

The story opens with a familiar plot. Two men of diverse backgrounds make an important decision. With great trepidation each takes that first, difficult step and enters the same building with the same goal – the hope of finding a meaningful job. Both of these men also share another similarity. Each of them is named Mark(c). Marc Lachuga is the young man in blue. He only completed the 8th grade, and at 26 he has never held a job. Marc is an extremely shy man with little exposure to large groups. However, despite these difficulties, he takes a leap of faith and registers for an orientation at the Richmond Adult Learning Center. Before long, the instructors realized that there was something unique about Marc. Not only is he quite intelligent, but also he is a gamer and builds computers for gaming. These skills, which required tactile and technical abilities, led Marc to consider manufacturing. Eventually, Marc was directed to Jon Thurlow, the adult education coordinator. From Jon he learned of the Manufacturing Matters WorkINdiana program. However, Marc expressed a concern. He did not think there were any manufacturing jobs lefts in Richmond. Jon convinced him otherwise by sharing various websites that beg to differ. Marc was then referred to a local WorkOne where he obtained assistance with cost of HSE testing. In addition he was provided workshops, which included interviewing and resume tips. As a result of his hard work and the support of teachers and WorkOne case managers, Marc obtained his HSE, completed Manufacturing Matters, and received his certification in CPT. Shortly after, Marc interviewed and was hired at Silgan as a Video Inspecting Equipment Operator. Marc is working 40 per week, and his starting salary is $15.18. Mark Hawkins is the man in the black, leather jacket. His story differs only slightly. Mark had some work experience in manufacturing. However, he became disappointed with the jobs he had, and he decided to start his own lawn care business. After 4 years, Mark wanted a better and more consistent, paying job. Like Marc he, too, made that difficult step and registered for adult education classes at the Richmond Adult Learning Center. From this point forward, both Mark(c) s’ paths were quite similar. Since Mark had some manufacturing experience, he was quickly referred to Jon Thurlow. Jon shared with Mark information on the Manufacturing Matters WorkINdiana program and then referred him to WorkOne. Once he connected with WorkOne, Mark found excellent support, which included assistance in completing all requirements for Manufacturing Matters and funding for the HSE. Mark earned his HSE and Certification as a Certified Production Technician. He was quickly hired by TKB making $10.00 per hou﻿r. Two months later, Silgan picked him up and offered him $15.84 per hour.

Through tenacity, that was shared by both of our leading characters, and the wise help of Region 6 Adult Education teachers and WorkOne case managers, we find a successful ending to our story, The Tale of Two Mark(c)'s!

﻿In 1998 the federal adult education legislation was reauthorized and placed within the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), as the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA). WIA was due to be reauthorized in 2003, but Congress did not pass new legislation until recently. President Obama signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) on July 22. So, what does this mean for adult education in Indiana?

If you’ve been involved in adult education for more than five years, you know that in July 2009, new state legislation was enacted that moved the administration of state and federal adult education funding from the Indiana Department of Education to the Department of Workforce Development (DWD). Only a small percentage of state adult education programs are administered under their state workforce development agency.Over the last five years, major changes have taken place in adult education programs in Indiana, and programs are adapting.

Programs are regionally based, aligning with workforce development defined regions. We have regional plans, policies, and performance metrics.

Funding is performance-based. We are rewarded for increasing enrollment, helping students achieve educational gains expeditiously, and preparing and transitioning students to post-secondary education and training.

Career pathway programs for our students are implemented in partnership with regional and local WorkOne personnel. We have a better understanding of workforce development services that can benefit our students and continue to work through challenges with differences in guidelines and performance requirements between our programs.

A new high school equivalency assessment has been adopted, and the rigor of instruction is ramping up with implementation of college and career readiness content standards and higher expectations for our students.

The student reporting system has evolved to help us track individual student progress and analyze our program performance in “real time.”

The pace and extent of change has been challenging, but when you consider the direction of the new federal legislation, you’ll realize that Indiana adult education is well-positioned to implement WIOA.

WIOA was designed to meet needs of the current economy. In general, it includes the same core programs as WIA, maintains separate funding streams, creates common measures across programs for youth and adults, and requires a unified state plan for programs. It is intended to streamline program services, reporting, and administration, and encourages strategic alignment and coordination to strengthen and improve the broad workforce development system. Transition to WIOA requires strong partnerships at the state and local level.WIOA retains and expands the purposes of AEFLA in assisting adults to become literate and achieve the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and economic self-sufficiency. Helping adults achieve high school equivalency level is critical, but is not the end goal. In addition to addressing transition from adult education to post-secondary education and training in performance measures, the purpose of the Act has been expanded to include transition to postsecondary education and training through career pathways.Additionally, services to immigrants and English language learners is expanded from reading, writing, speaking and comprehending English language to include improving math skills and understanding American government, individual freedoms, and responsibilities of citizenship.Three new activities are required for adult education programs under WIOA.

Integrated education and training with adult education and literacy instruction within the context of occupational skills training

Unified state plans for all programs, which are due by March 3, 2016, must include a strategic vision and goals for state adult education and a workforce system to meet the needs of employers. They must address how programs will be aligned and coordinated and how community colleges will be engaged to improve access to postsecondary education.

Common performance measures for all core programs, which significantly expand current adult education indicators, include the following, effective July 1, 2016.

Percentage of program participants employed during second quarter after exit

Percentage of program participants employed during the fourth quarter after exit

Median earnings of program participants

Percentage of program participants who obtain a postsecondary credential/high school diploma equivalency

Percentage of program participants who during a program year achieve a measurable skill gain

Effectiveness in serving employers

There are new requirements for how states design funding competition and award funding for adult education services, including the definition of eligible program providers and application requirements, which reinforce the emphasis on alignment with workforce development services. One notable change requires that regional adult education applications must be submitted to regional workforce boards to review for alignment with workforce services prior to submission to the state.How WIOA is implemented will be determined by federal program regulations. The Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), U.S. Department of Education solicited input on issues and concerns about implementation of AEFLA under WIOA to assist in drafting regulations for implementation. The proposed regulations for WIOA will be issued by January 20, 2015, for public comment, final regulations will be issued on January 22, 2016, and WIOA takes effect on July 1, 2016. Yes, you can say that the devil will be in the details.You may think this seems overwhelming, but trust me—many other states are not as prepared as Indiana to implement these changes. The transformation of adult education that we have experienced over the last five years puts us ahead of the curve.Stay tuned for further developments.